Maybe she’s born with it, or maybe it was a Pinterest beauty hack gone wrong. While we may be living in the day and age where it is socially acceptable to stand firm on the “top ten FDA approved mayonnaise facial creams” posted by a reliable web source, there was also once upon a time where beauty tips were used at your own risk – literally! We’ve taken time to thank our lucky stars to have been born in an era where makeup’s virgin years are behind and also celebrate overcoming these past beauty secrets we wouldn’t dare try today!

Urinating Facial Cleansers

Unless you idolize R. Kelly, you will certainly appreciate urine being omitted from the ingredients necessary for facial masks. Many women (and men) of Ancient Rome considered this the holy grail of facial cleansing and teeth whitening!

Instant Dimples!

Back in 1937, a dimple machine was invented by a woman named Isabelle Gilbert in hopes to compress an insertion on either side of the face using spring-loaded knobs. Needless to say, this invention was short-lived and we’re grateful for it.

Smelly Wigs

We as women take pride in our hair. Following our smile, it’s the first thing people notice at first glance. But, if you lived during the Victorian era, your huge wig made of wooden frames, beef lard and bear grease would be your staple look. While these ingredients are would clearly never make the top of the FDA approved list, it always made a great home for rats and other rodents who better appreciated the stench.

Black teeth

In Japan during the Meiji Era, white teeth were for single women only. If you had already found your “Mr. Right,” it was customary for women to apply lacquer dye to their teeth to stain them black. We’re not sure how this became a trend, but we’re certainly glad this was left in the past.

The Tapeworm Diet

When the Atkin, South Beach, and Hearbalife diets fail, try tapeworms. That’s right, women in the 1800’s would consume live tapeworms to eat and dissolve all of your food from their stomach. While this may sound like a great idea, imagine live worms in your stomach and soon after, headed directly to E.R. to have your stomach pumped. Yeah, game plan revamped.

Luckily our ancestors had the pleasure of trying out all of these beauty hacks before we ruined our hair, skin, and body for the rest of our lives. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but thank goodness for modern technology to kick it up a notch.